Opening the Pandora''s Box: The Child Abuse Discourse

The current study explores the development of the Bulgarian child maltreatment discourses that emerged in the public domain after the fall of Communism in 1989. An argument is made that by examining the way in which child abuse stories are structured and operate in the media and public domain is essential for proper understanding of how social policy and child protection are structured. The author carries out a discourse analysis of the Bulgarian child maltreatment discourses, looks at their historical and cultural roots and draws comparison with the corresponding discourses and child protection policy in the UK. The study suggests a particular model of inquiry that can be replicated in other cultural or practice contexts.